Transport Salaried Staffs' Association

History

The union was founded in Sheffield in 1897 as the National Association of General Railway Clerks, although it was a narrow decision to found the union. The railway companies were strongly opposed to trade unions and two earlier attempts to form a clerks' union had failed and, discouraged, the organisers decided by a majority of only one vote to try a third time - this time successfully. In 1899 it was renamed the Railway Clerks' Association (RCA), and in 1951 it adopted its current name.

The union has been involved in at least one London Underground strike, between 6 and 7 September 2010.

In July 2015, TSSA endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. TSSA National Political Officer, Sam Tarry spearheaded Corbyn's second leadership campaign.

In September 2021, TSSA announced that it was in talks about merging the union with the North American Boilermakers Union with the viewpoint of completing the merger by 1 July 2022. In January 2022, union representatives voted by 88% to agree to the merger, however the Boilermakers withdrew from the merger later in the year.

In early 2022, the union was granted an injunction on an employee who has accused Manuel Cortes, the general secretary of the TSSA of sexual harassment and of bullying by senior staff members. Cortes claimed that he had no memory of the evening due to excessive drinking. The injunction forbade the woman from talking about the alleged harassment and bullying. Later that year an inquiry was opened into the union, led by Helena Kennedy KC, to examine allegations of sexual harassment and bullying towards women within the union, with Manuel Cortes resigning with immediate effect a month later. The Kennedy inquiry reported in February 2023 that the union had seen a culture of sexual harassment and sexual assault over the course of several years along with coercive behaviour. Kennedy called for several senior leaders of the union to resign and that external auditors should be brought in to examine the union's finances. An earlier critical report which concluded that equality, diversity and inclusion objectives were not being met was not made public until February 2023.

In May 2023 TSSA members elected a new President, Melissa Heywood, and Treasurer, Mary Sithole. This was the first time TSSA had elected women to both National Officer positions at the same time. Later in 2023 TSSA members elected a new General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, who was the first woman and the first person of colour to hold the post.

The 2025 election for President and Treasurer was held in April 2025, but later TSSA announced the presidential election would be re-run and the re-run finished in October 2025. In January 2026, Adam Wilson was listed as President and Mary Sithole as Treasurer.

In 2025, the GMB union represented TSSA staff in an internal industrial dispute. The GMB stated that a staff survey had found 90% of TSSA employees described the TSSA as a "psychologically unsafe" place to work, with the TSSA acknowledging morale amongst staff was low. The Guardian reported that a GMB representative in TSSA had been suspended for trade union activities.

Office holders

General Secretaries

:1897: Charles Bassett-Vincent :1898: John Hereford :1898: F. Parrish (acting) :1899: John Stopford Challener :1906: William J. West (acting) :1906: Alexander Walkden :1936: William Stott :1940: Charles Gallie :1947: Fred Bostock :1948: Percy Heady (acting) :1949: George Thorneycroft :1953: Bill Webber :1963: John Bothwell :1968: Percy Coldrick :1973: David Mackenzie :1977: Tom Bradley (acting) :1977: Tom Jenkins :1982: Bert Lyons :1989: Richard Rosser :2004: Gerry Doherty :2011: Manuel Cortes :2022: Frank Ward (acting) :2023: Peter Pendle (Interim Joint General Secretary) :2023: Maryam Eslamdoust

Presidents

:1897: J. Batty Langley :1899: W. D. Leaver :1900: Fortescue Flannery :1906: William J. West :1908: George Lathan :1912: Herbert Romeril :1916: W. E. Williams :1919: Harry Gill :1932: Fred Simpson :1937: Frederick Watkins :1943: Percy Morris :1953: James Haworth :1956: Ray Gunter :1964: Tom Bradley :1977: Walter Johnson :1981: Jim Mills :1987: Geoff Henman :1993: Brenda Hanks :1997: David Horton :2001: David Porter :2005: Andy Bain :2011: Harriet Yeo :2013: Mick Carney :2023: Marios Alexandrou :2023: Melissa Heywood :2025: Adam Wilson

Treasurers

:1906: J. M. Roberts :1920: W. E. Williams :1927: Arnold Townend :1934: Frederick Watkins MP :1937: Percy Morris :1943: James Haworth MP :1953: Ray Gunter MP :1956: Lord Lindgren :1961: Tom G. Bradley MP :1965: Walter Johnson MP :1977: Jock Newall (acting) :1977: Jim Mills :1981: Stanley Cohen MP :1984: Geoff Henman :1987: Brenda Hanks :1993: Peter Holloway (acting) :1993: David Horton :1997: David Porter :2001: Annie Breen :2004: Amarjit Singh (acting) :2004: Andy Bain :2005: Harriet Yeo :2011: Mick Carney :2013: Andy Bain :2015: Jason Turvey :2019: Al Stoten :2023: Nicola Jukes :2023: Mary Sithole

References

References

1. "Labour Party affiliated Unions".
2. (23 December 2025). "Form AR21: Transport Salaried Staffs' Association".
3. Malcolm Wallace. (1996). "Birth of the Union". TSSA.
4. (3 May 2014). "Government Housing Resources".
5. (30 July 2015). "TSSA backs Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader and Angela Eagle for deputy". Transport Salaried Staffs' Association.
6. (24 September 2016). "The Top 100 People on the Left List 2016". Ian Dale.
7. (20 September 2021). "TSSA enters a transatlantic merger talks first".
8. (24 September 2021). "Transport union TSSA in talks over merger with US counterpart". BBC News.
9. (31 January 2022). "TSSA workplace reps vote for merger".
10. (10 May 2022). "Union enforces NDA to stop woman repeating sexual harassment allegation".
11. (21 September 2022). "Inquiry launched into alleged sexual harassment by union leader". The Guardian.
12. (26 October 2022). "Retirement of TSSA General Secretary".
13. (8 February 2023). "Damning report uncovers years of sexual harassment at transport union". The Guardian.
14. Smythe, Polly. (22 February 2023). "Trade Union Accused of Sitting on Report Into 'Toxic' Culture".
15. (13 August 2022). "Equality Policy and Practice in the TSSA".
16. (24 May 2023). "TSSA elects Women President and Treasurer in "historic" first.".
17. (22 November 2022). "'A fresh start': TSSA's new general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust".
18. (16 April 2025). "TSSA President and Treasurer Elections Hustings - watch here".
19. "Executive Committee".
20. Mason, Rowena. (19 January 2026). "GMB union faces claims of bullying in industrial disputes from rival union leader". The Guardian.
21. Malcolm Wallace. (2003). "General Secretaries of the Association". TSSA.
22. (2 December 2016). "Gibraltarian wins second term at head of UK transport union". Gibraltar Chronicle.
23. (6 March 2023). "Peter Pendle appointed Interim (joint) General Secretary".
24. (10 October 2023). "Transport union elects its first female general secretary". [[Evening Standard]].
25. Malcolm Wallace. (2003). "Presidents of the Association". TSSA.
26. Malcolm Wallace. (2003). "Treasurers of the Association". TSSA.